The 49ers are where the Raiders were three years ago – drastically undermanned, in the midst of unrelenting losing, and with Fort Knox-like money under the salary cap. Obviously, the 10-2 Raiders have made the right moves in hiring coach Jack Del Rio, drafting players like Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, and acquiring players like …

Thirty years later, John Storey remains grateful it was Joe Montana scrambling to his right on that memorable January 1982 day. Another quarterback might not have artfully lobbed his pass high into the end zone the way Montana did.
And then Dwight Clar… …

Niners tight end Justin Peelle often works out with his good friend and former teammate Drew Brees in the offseason in San Diego.
In 2012, Peelle will meet up with his pal a little sooner than usual after Brees led the Saints to a 45-28 win over the vi… …

“He’s a perfectionist and he’s got this incredible drive,” said Peelle, who played with Brees with the Chargers from 2002-05. “That’s the type of person that he is and that’s the type of quarterback he is. Being in the system for so long with coach Payton out in New Orleans, he just knows everything. And he’s so smart.” …

(01-06) 22:04 PST — All the talk coming into this season was about the lockout. But as we enter the second season – the NFL playoffs, which start with two games today – people should be screaming about the lockup of defensive players. With helmet-to-… …

(01-06) 17:53 PST — Alex Smith just completed one of the most efficient seasons in the history of NFL quarterbacking. Most players at his position, including some all-time greats, could only dream of throwing just five interceptions in a season.
The … …

(01-06) 22:11 PST — After practice Friday, coach Jim Harbaugh announced which members of the 49ers were named to the AP All-Pro teams as his players were huddled around him.
“First-team defensive tackle, Justin Smith,” Harbaugh announced to cheers.
H… …

(01-06) 21:49 PST — Niners tight end Delanie Walker is speaking again, but the words out of his mouth Friday don’t suggest his return to the field is imminent.
Speaking publicly for the first time since he suffered a broken jaw Dec. 24, the typically… …

(01-06) 12:05 PST — The 49ers led the Associated Press All-Pro Team with five players, a testament to the turnaround in San Francisco under new coach Jim Harbaugh.
Linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, defensive tackle Justin Smith, kicker D… …

The Chargers fired defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on Thursday after only one year on the job, replacing him by promoting linebackers coach John Pagano.
The shakeout came four days after the Chargers finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs for the seco… …

Tim Tebow’s first NFL playoff appearance has been shaping up as a battle for the soul of modern-day professional football.
The cult of the quarterback has been threatened since the day Tebow started winning games for the Broncos. If his team beats th… …

In past years, the task would have been daunting.
Select the top 10 plays from a 49ers’ season? Do preseason games count?
This season, of course, there are plenty of memorable moments from which to choose.
These were the best in San Francisco’s 13-3 re… …

Before we close the books on another exciting/frustrating/awesome/unpredictable (circle one) fantasy season, we must take a quick stroll back through 2011 to examine the players we rooted for and against and – with as much objectivity as we can muster – give credit where credit is due.